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Extend police fund to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, ministers told

A Tory MP has called on the Government to extend a police fund aimed at clamping down on anti-social behaviour.

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Stuart Anderson, Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, has set out a series of demands

Stuart Anderson says he wants to see West Midlands Police receive extra cash from the £70 million Safer Streets Fund, which was brought in last year to help forces and local councils reduce crimes such as car theft and burglary.

So far West Midlands Police has received more than £1m from the fund, which has been used for initiatives including extra CCTV in parts of Wolverhampton.

Mr Anderson, MP for Wolverhampton South West, made the funding plea as part of a call for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to put communities and young people at the heart of his Budget on October 27.

In a formal submission to the spending review, he also called for business grants to help retail and hospitality bounce back after Covid, and said it was vital that key schemes such as the levelling up fund were delivered "at pace".

Mr Anderson said there was a need for extra funding for the NHS to improve cancer treatment and GPs services, and to bring in more staff, while he also called for a new fund to connect more people with nature.

He said: "From securing our economic recovery to protecting our environment, and from levelling up educational opportunities to championing health and wellbeing, my recommendations set a clear plan to build a city with communities that are stronger, healthier, and more prosperous than before.

"We must deliver on these priorities so that we can secure our recovery from Covid-19 and unlock our nation’s potential."

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